Translation of Microsoft Excel files

Microsoft Excel is one of the most widely used spreadsheet software. It was developed in 1985 and is now part of the Microsoft Office suite.

The files prepared in the program may have a .XLS or .XLSX extension. The XLSX format was introduced in 2007 and constitutes a text format based on XML marking. The development of a new format was necessitated by the fact that the binary XLS format changed constantly with the introduction of new functions, which caused problems with displaying XLS files in different versions of Microsoft Exceland other software.

Translation of Microsoft Excel files in a visual editor

XLS and XLSX files may be edited directly in Microsoft Excel and in free alternatives, for example in OpenOffice Calc. The main disadvantage of using visual editors is that formatting may be distorted by an incautious user.

Translation of Microsoft Excel files using CAT tools

The XLS and XLSX formats are supported by the majority of modern translation memory systems. The use of translation memory allows to ensure consistent terminology, both for continuous projects and projects split between several translators. Segmentation of translated files and their conversion into a bilingual format in translation memory systems provide additional opportunities to automate the quality assurance process. Comparing source and target segments allows to identify and completely prevent the following errors: errors in numerical data, terminology inconsistency, omissions in translation, different trailing punctuation in the source and target segments, inconsistent translation or different formatting.

The length of the source and target text in different languages is almost never the same, which can affect how the document looks. Once translated, you need to make sure that the text does not overlap other cells.

ALBA Translation Agency has extensive experience of working with Microsoft Excel files. Our specialists can organize a work process on each job in the most optimal and therefore cost-effective manner for our customers.